Hamburg, September 28, 2018 – On the occasion of Circus Krone’s guest performance on the Heiligengeistfeld, the Foundation, based in Hamburg, called for a ban on wild animals in the circus at the Rathausmarkt this morning. The animal rights activists appealed to Mayor Tschentscher to work in Hamburg for a municipal ban on wild animals and in the Bundesrat for a Germany-wide ban.
Rüdiger Jürgensen, Managing Director Germany: «The Senate should bring the districts together to once and for all keep circuses with wild animals out of Hamburg.»
Although the Hanseatic city criticized wild animals in the circus in the coalition agreement between the SPD and the Greens (1) and had already supported several initiatives for a nationwide ban in the past, Circus Krone received permission to perform in Hamburg with its wild animals for several weeks. The regulatory law allows the districts to prohibit the allocation of public spaces to wild animal circuses. A total of around 100 German cities and municipalities have already issued a ban or restrictions on wild animal circuses.
Tonight, is again demonstrating together with other animal welfare organizations directly in front of the circus.
German viewers most at risk in the EU: study
An EU report by the Eurogroup for Animals published in October 2017 shows that most dangerous incidents involving circus animals occur in Germany. Of the more than 300 incidents involving more than 600 circus animals documented across the EU, almost half occurred in Germany.
Almost 30 European countries have now issued national bans or restrictions on circus companies regarding the keeping of certain animal species.
Enormous suffering for wild animals
The keeping of wild animals in the circus is highly problematic from an animal welfare point of view, since a mobile company cannot take the needs of the animals into account: They suffer from frequent changes of location, small cages, a lack of opportunities to retreat, a lack of social structure, questionable training methods and the high stress associated with them appearances. Most of the time, the animals live in transport vehicles that are far too narrow, in which there is usually hardly any space for climbing, digging, running, bathing or swimming.
(1) Coalition Agreement about the cooperation in the 21st legislative period of the Hamburg Parliament between the SPD, Hamburg state organization and Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Hamburg state association: https://www.hamburg/koalitionsvertrag/ Verbraucherschutz
PHOTOS and VIDEO MATERIAL
We will be happy to send you printable photos of the wild animals in Circus Krone and other circuses on request.